Prior to watching the following video, I would just freeze my greens in order to lock in their nutrients. Then I came across this video and kicked myself for never thinking about the method she uses. It makes so much sense and is a simple way to keep your green vegetables fresh AND full of nutrients. No need to freeze them anymore.
In the video below, Chef Ahki discusses this nifty, simple method to store green vegetables. If you don't know about it already, you'll kick yourself too! Trust me.
Monday, November 5, 2012
My Live Fit (WEEK 8) Recap- Counting Calories
So this week (I just finished Week 8 of 12) on the Live Fit Program, we were supposed to count calories. I used the formula below to determine I should be eating around 1,230 to 1,530 calories per day, depending on my activity.
I found this super cool website, My Fitness Pal that calculates calories for you. You just type in your ingredients (they have a drop down list for you to choose from down to specific brands) and it calculates the calories, carbs, fat, and protein grams for you. Here's what 1606 calories a day looks like for me when I'm eating:
Meal 1: Protein pancakes with peanut butter and syrup + coffee and creamer
Snack: Two protein brownies -- I don't think the brownies are in there, so my calories are about 100 higher than the My Fitness Pal totals (totaling 1606)
Meal 2: "Tex Mex" -- I had to add it twice under the "lunch" category
Meal 3: "Tex Mex"
Meal 4: Protein shake (after workout)
Meal 5: Egg White omelet
Those calories add up fast, and with My Fitness Pal, I was able to see how every calorie counts - my coffee creamer alone has 100 calories!
I completely blew the calories this weekend though. I indulged in cheeseburger, fries, and a beer on Friday, crab cake egg benedict on Saturday at brunch, pizza on Saturday night, and Sunday for lunch. Also, I had wine on Sunday- but just one glass.
I'll be back tomorrow sharing my latest photo and workout sheets.
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
The Twin Pillars of Society...are crumbling as we speak
Last November, I spent three days working in the National Gallery of Australia during the Art of Good Health and Wellbeing conference. Over my time there, I had the luxury of slipping out of the proceedings and into the galleries themselves and soaking up Australia’s rich history and visual culture. It was a treat to spend time with people who new elements of the collection and my particular thanks go to Peter Naumann, the Head of Education + Public Programs, and Gallery Educator program co-coordinator Adriane Boag who helped me scratch the surface of my understanding of the vast collection of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander art in the collection. I knew I was ignorant to more or less all aspects of indigenous art, but alongside my complete lack of knowledge of 20th century and contemporary Australian art too, I was in for something of a revelation. It would be easy and trite to compare and contrast the development of visual art in Australia alongside what I knew of European art, but that was never going to be the case. The art that I was exposed to was about a different story, and perhaps again, one that I’m not equipped to tell. Yes there were stories of the human condition, but grounded in this vast and unforgiving landscape. So it was with a degree of excitement that I’ve noticed that The Royal Academy of Art’s big autumn/winter show next year (21 September - 8 December 2013), will be an extravaganza, a survey of 200 years of Australian art. The big names are being trumpeted, so expect Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Margaret Preston, Rover Thomas and Tracey Moffatt to sit alongside the exquisite unknown work of indigenous craftspeople.
With the thought of our visual heritage and culture, and the recent speech of our PM to the Conservative Party Conference in mind, it is with some horror that I see the place of the arts on the national curriculum, is falling almost completely of the agenda.
Cultural figureheads have this week begun an attack on the governments English baccalaureate, the Ebacc, the fear being that many state schools will marginailise arts subjects, if they don’t count significantly to the Ebacc. In other words pupils have to attain a GCSE grade C or higher in five subject areas; English, maths, two sciences, and either geography or history. Drama, music, art and design aren’t included! The Cultural Learning Alliance is calling for the Government to add a sixth pillar to the currently planned, 5 subject areas.
Are you shocked? You should be. Everything this arts and health agenda is about, is deeply embedded in education, emotional intelligence and the arts. Others will talk more eloquently than me about the contribution of the arts to our economy and civic society, but we mustn't underestimate the impact that will have on the next generation.
So let me remind you of the Prime Ministers speech and his thoughts on education.
“The transformation has been astonishing – and the methods have been Conservative. Smart uniforms, teachers in suits. Children taught physics, chemistry and biology, not soft options."
But Prime Minister, aren't science and the arts the twin pillars of society?
I’m also mindful of research that I quoted in A Brightly Coloured Bell Jar that explored some of the links between intelligence testing and creativity testing, summarising that enriched environments, notably the USA, had seen a constant generational rise in IQ scores, but a reverse trend in creativity scores since 1990. In their paper, The Creativity Crisis, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman take this theme further, but with an emphasis not on art classes per se, but on how thinking creatively across the curriculum is key to flourishing.
‘Creativity isn’t about freedom from concrete facts,’ they comment, ‘Rather, (it’s about) fact-finding and deep research (that) are vital stages in the creative process.’ The characteristics of successful creative schools is, ‘they alternate maximum divergent thinking with bouts of intense convergent thinking, through several stages… when applied to the everyday process of work or school, brain function improves.’
Grayson Perry shares his thoughts on this latest experiment in education. Click on his photograph for more.
“The idea that art will somehow look after itself – that society will breed untaught geniuses – is rubbish. We'll end up with a cultural sector even more skewed towards the privately educated. A bit like what has happened to politics.”
And like a voice of reason in this liminal world of arts, health, wellbeing and education; enter stage left, the Shadow Minister for Culture and the Arts, Dan Jarvis MP who attended the launch of the Sheffield Arts and Wellbeing Network, and judging by the transcript, spoke rather well about our agenda. Here’s a snippet. Click on the glass eyes below, for the full speech.
Although we are at a tipping point, we have much to build upon and Britain has previously developed different approaches towards improving population health. As Shadow Culture Minister, I am seized by the role that Culture – the Arts, can play in the context of health and general well-being.”
Arts Council England announces details of its new structure, which comes into operation on 1 July 2013.
The changes come as a result of the Government's requirement - made as part of our settlement for 2011-15 - that we reduce our administrative costs, as applied to our grant in aid for the arts by the end of March 2015.
- an overall reduction in staff numbers across the organisation of 21 per cent from 559.5 full time posts to 442 (117.5 posts)
- four Executive Directors, reducing from eight, accountable for delivering the Arts Council's overall strategy, with the Chief Executive
- leadership of artform and cultural policy expertise distributed geographically across the organisation - everyone will have a local and national focus
- property costs will come down by 50 per cent through reductions in the size of offices
- major offices will be located in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, plus some smaller local offices to keep the Arts Council close to the arts and cultural sector, and to local government
- five areas covering London, the South East, the South West, the Midlands and the North replace the Arts Council's current regions and areas
Call for abstracts for Arts in Health Conference
Deadline 21st December 2012
International conference June 24, 25, 26 2013
We welcome the submission of abstracts for:
- Oral Presentations
- Poster Presentations
- Participatory Workshop & Performance /Film
Our conference themes include:
- Healthy and Creative Ageing
- Global Health Inequalities and Culture
- Culture and the Social Determinants of Wellbeing
- Research
- The latest research and new methodologies
- The dissemination of international research and evaluation
- Practice
- Museums and Health
- Arts in healthcare settings
- Arts and health promotion/prevention
Further guidelines by clicking on the false teeth
Help a Heart Grants (UK)
The British Heart Foundation has announced that the next closing date for applications through its Help a Heart Grants programme is the 21st December 2012. Through the programme community and voluntary groups are able to apply for funding of between £300 and £2,000 to promote heart health in their area. Anything that promotes heart health may be eligible for a Help a Heart Grant. The Foundation is particularly interested in original and creative ideas. Projects must be patient led. The more evidence of patient involvement and need applicants can provide, the stronger their application will be.
Read more at: http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/how-we-help/funding/help-a-heart-grants.aspx The David & Elaine Potter Foundation
(UK & International)
The David and Elaine Potter Foundation is a charitable family foundation established in 1999 to encourage a stronger, fairer civil society. It has granted more than £12 million to registered charities in the UK and abroad. The Foundation's funding is divided into five categories:
- Education
- Civil society
- Research
- Human rights
- Arts.
The trustees are interested in lasting social change, and in forming long-term partnerships with the organisations the Foundation supports. Grants in the past have ranged from several hundred pounds to grants of up to £2 million. The grant application process is divided into two stages: a letter of enquiry and an application. An applicant is invited to submit a full proposal only if their letter of enquiry has been accepted.
Applications can be submitted at any time. Read more at:
Wolfson Foundation Special Needs Grants Programme (UK)
The Wolfson Foundation has announced that its Special Needs Grants Programme is open for applications. Through its Special Needs Programme, the Wolfson Foundation, makes grants to charities and special schools that work with people with particular health needs or disabilities. Over the past three years some £7.5 million has been allocated to nearly 150 different projects. Grants are made for new buildings, major refurbishment work, equipment or vehicles.
There is a two stage application process. Initially an outline of the project should be submitted. Successful applicants at this stage will be invited to submit a full proposal. Stage 1 applications can be submitted at any time. The next closing date for Stage 2 applications is the 1st March 2013. Read more at:
http://www.wolfson.org.uk/grant-applicants/special-needs/
US
Just to say, our thoughts are with you as you head into Presidential elections and following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy on the Eastern seaboard, our thoughts are with the invisible people of Cuba and Haiti too...
Thank you as ever for reading this blog, and feel free to share...C.P.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Healthy Shepherd's Pie (via The Chronicles of Home)
Happy Friday all! I hope you have some good weekend plans- I know I'm ready for it! My friend Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home is back with a wonderful fall/winter recipe for you. She made over Shepherd's Pie to make it more healthy, without sacrificing any flavor. Since I've been eating pretty much the same thing over and over, I'm really looking forward to cooking some delicious good-for-you food. I've got my eye on you Thanksgiving! . . .
Be honest…do you think I've lost my mind putting "healthy" and "shepherd's pie" in the same sentence? I promise you, I am still sane!
This shepherd's pie is thick, richly-flavored, meaty, and fits snugly into the "comfort food" category but is also loaded with healthy vegetables. The typical butter and cream laced potato topping is swapped for a parsnip, potato, and butternut squash puree made rich with just one tablespoon of butter and kept smooth and creamy by using some of the cooking water.
Instead of the traditional lamb I use beef here, and this is my secret to keeping the dish both healthy and doable for a weeknight. Whenever I cook a chuck roast, I make sure I save about a pound of the leftover meat. To cook the chuck, I place it in a Dutch oven with red wine and water covering the meat about 3/4 of the way.
I roast it, covered, in the oven for about 4 hours, until the meat shreds apart. I carefully go through the meat with a couple of butter knives, shredding it all and removing any visible fat. Then I set aside about a pound of the shredded, de-fatted meat and freeze it until I'm ready to make shepherd's pie.
The taste is everything you might want from a shepherd's pie but you can put that indulgence guilt away for another time and eat happily with the knowledge that you are putting a cornucopia of healthy things into your body.
Ingredients
Filling:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 c. peeled and chopped carrots (about 3 medium)
1 c. chopped celery (about 2 large stalks)
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
14 oz. can chicken broth
14 oz. can beef broth
large bunch Swiss chard, center stems removed, chopped
1 tbsp. flour
1 lb. cooked, shredded beef from a chuck roast
Topping:
1 c. peeled parsnips, cut into chunks
2 c. peeled potatoes, cut into chunks
2 c. peeled butternut squash, cut into chunks
1 tbsp. butter
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Saute until partially tender then add broths and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Put the flour in a small bowl, scoop a bit of the hot broth into the bowl, and whisk until smooth. Add to the pot and stir in the beef. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
While the filling is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add parsnips and cook 2 minutes. Add potatoes and squash and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Return vegetables to the pot and use a hand mixer to puree the vegetables with the butter. Add reserved cooking liquid a bit at a time until everything is smooth.
Preheat the oven to 375º. Pour the filling into a rectangular baking dish. Spread the warm topping over and bake until the filling bubbles at edges and the topping begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
Thank you Jennifer!
1in3: One Month Down!
So, how was last month? Well, I'm really digging these box braids. I haven't had to fiddle with my hair in almost a month!
Last weekend, I did my first wash since the installation, and it went really well. (See box braid regimen description here.) This month, I plan to do one or two more washes before taking down the set. Thus far, I am hooked on the simplicity AND style of the braids. I think I might install another set in January? We'll see.
As for the "internal" health part of the challenge, if you haven't picked up on it already, I have been on smoothie kick that I carried into the challenge. (Check these posts for smoothie recipes.) This kick has made it easier to absorb multiple fruits and veggies in one sitting ... which in turn makes it easier to meet my goal intake for the day. Now, I just have to get my workout regimen together, and I'm set. So far, I've been using my trusty exercise DVD, but I think I want to join a gym. Well ... til next time, ladies!
How was your first month of the challenge? What are you doing this month?
MOTIVATION FOR THE MONTH:
Always have the destination at the forefront of your mind. Then you will be able to complete the journey. Let the 1-1.5 inches of length retention be your destination. Now, just do what you need to do to get there! :o)
Protective Style Lookbook || Elegant Textured Updo (From A Twist Out)
By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles. Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)
Style description: Front is twirled and pinned back. Back is twirled and pinned up. Style starts from a twistout.
Difficulty level: 1/5
How I Wake Up Early to Workout
Are any of you getting enough sleep?
I'm definitely a girl who needs her 8 hours and could easily sleep in on the weekend (and take a nap too) if given the opportunity. I'm realizing that, in order to get all my workouts in, some days I have to exercise before work. Which means waking up around 5:00 to 5:15 a.m. UG! Not being a morning person, I can say opening my eyes at the crack of dawn is not fun. But once I get going, I feel so great that I got up and got it done!
Here are my tips for waking up early and getting out the door.
First and foremost, DECIDE before you get to bed, that you are waking up early and pick the appropriate time. Think about why you are getting up early and what you want to accomplish. I know I'm going to feel so bad if I plan to get up early to work out, but miss it because I slept too late to do it.
1. When my alarm goes off, I sit up and get my feet onto the floor. If I don't do this QUICK, I'm likely to talk myself out of getting out of bed. I literally get up the second the alarm goes off and get moving before I have time to think how cozy it is in the bed. Don't think "cozy," think "Get up NOW!" And don't hit snooze!
2. Have coffee set to brew. This is critical for me. Knowing that my coffee is ready and waiting for me helps get me downstairs. I pour mine into a thermos and drink it on the way to the gym.
3. Get everything prepared the night before (gym clothes laid out, breakfast ready to go, water bottle filled).
4. I've been eating oatmeal (with raisins, cinnamon, and almond slices topped with skim milk) which cooks in one minute in the microwave, before I head out since I can't workout on an empty stomach.
Having my workout over and done with for the day first thing is really rewarding. And it frees the rest of the day for whatever else you have planned.
Now that I've had a few morning workouts, I realize I actually enjoy that quiet alone time. Knowing that my son is soundly sleeping and I'm not interrupting his routine to get my workout in is great.
I will probably continue mixing it up, working out a couple mornings, couple evenings and on Saturday.
Are you a morning exerciser?
How do you make yourself wake up early?
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